Sebring: Team Cadillac qualifying notes

Cadillac Returns to Racing on the Pole Position
Max Angelelli posts a record-setting fastest lap in the Cadillac CTS-V's first outing
SEBRING, Fla. -- The General Motors' Cadillac division returned to racing on Thursday with a pole position for...

Cadillac Returns to Racing on the Pole Position
Max Angelelli posts a record-setting fastest lap in the Cadillac CTS-V's first outing

SEBRING, Fla. -- The General Motors' Cadillac division returned to racing on Thursday with a pole position for the high-performance CTS-V. Cadillac driver Max Angelelli set the fastest speed in qualifying for the SCCA Speed World Challenge GT Championship at Sebring International Raceway with a record-setting time of 2:09.076, the first ever pole position for Cadillac. Angelelli and fellow Cadillac driver Andy Pilgrim will start Friday's 50-minute race from the 1st and 2nd rows of the 32-car grid; Pilgrim qualified his #8 Cadillac CTS-V at 2:10.795, or 4th fastest overall.

"We've worked hard to turn a great street car into a competitive racing car and today's qualifying session was a great first step for our program," said David Spitzer, program manager for the Cadillac CTS-V race car. "This is some of the best racing in North America and for Cadillac to be able to be competitive says a lot about where we're headed. We're cautiously optimistic for tomorrow's race and it should be a great race for the fans."

The pole position for the CTS-V highlights an overall revitalization for Cadillac. The Cadillac CTS-V is the first race car developed by GM Racing in conjunction with the new GM Performance Division, an in-house center designed to explore potential enthusiast-oriented versions of production models. The same engineers who conceived the CTS-V for street use were directly involved in the creation of the race car.

Drivers Max Angelelli and Andy Pilgrim were happy with the performance of the Cadillacs in their first qualifying session.

"That was the best lap I've ever had in the Cadillac and it is due to the hard work of the team," said Angelelli. "In my first timed laps I was able to get a series of very good slipstreams from my teammate and was able to capitalize on it. We've spent a number of days testing at Sebring and that certainly helped us out. Although I was the only one in the car, I owe this pole position to the team members who have worked hard to get us to this point."

Angelelli's teammate, Andy Pilgrim, will be close behind at the start of Friday's race. The American also commented on the hard work of the crew to be able to debut a new race car on the first and second rows of the grid.

"I thought qualifying went very well and I'm very pleased with where we are," said Pilgrim. "The starts in these races are really exciting, not only for the fans but also for us inside the cockpit. I imagine there will be some action between the lead cars and I hope to be able to stay up front. I feel as though I've got a great car and I can't wait to start tomorrow."

Team Cadillac will start Saturday's 50-minute World Challenge GT race at 4:25 pm.